


My Jolly Sailor Bold

by Mycatshuman



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, But he comes back, Character Death, Fluff, M/M, Pirate Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Siren Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:07:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28172139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mycatshuman/pseuds/Mycatshuman
Summary: My heart is pierced by CupidI disdain all glittering goldThere is nothing can console meBut my Jolly sailor boldHappy Birthday Virgil!!
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Prinxiety
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	My Jolly Sailor Bold

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: angst, fighting, death, character dies but comes back

_ Upon one summer's morning... _

Early morning fog crept along the cold waters of the North sea like a cat stalking its prey. The waves lapped along the port of a small town in Great Britain as they continued to bring in the ominous fog that had yet to disappear. The sun had yet to rise, most of the sky still dark. Only the horizon slowly brightened as the sunrise inched closer. Most people were still in bed this early in the morning. Still, there was a single soul pacing rhythmically back and forth along the deck of a ship docked in the small port, waiting for the rest of the ship's crew to return from their night on the town. 

The man, who went by the name Virgil, was anxiously swabbing the deck, well aware his fellow crewmates wouldn't be back until well past the sun's rise, and took advantage of the lack of foot traffic to clean the deck. Of course, his captain could rouse them early but those days were rare and few between. 

Virgil was a unique one. First off, he was a pirate. Second, he rarely indulged in the drinks and ladies like some other pirates, simply preferring to stay on the ship than to go into town. He would like to say he was more of a sensible pirate, which had to have been the reason he was made the first mate. 

Virgil had, of course, already gotten himself ready for the day. He had messily smudged black kohl underneath his eyes to help keep the light out of his eyes once the sun rose and he even cleaned his shirt for the day. He was a bit of an early riser when they weren't at sea. The fact that anyone could just walk on board made him uneasy. Although, when they came to this town, he slept a little easier. It was a bit of a remote town and most pirates tended to go to more lively places. 

Before long, the sailor was finished mopping and put away the mop and bucket before moving over to the railing along the side of the ship facing the open sea. He leaned against the side of a barrel with a sigh. Virgil took out his dagger and a small log of wood and began to whittle to keep himself occupied until the crew returned. 

_ I carefully did stray _

Out in the sea, far from the ship, a head popped up above the water. The head had a pair of eyes and the eyes narrowed in on the lone sailor aboard the magnificent ship. The head quickly rose until the top half of a broad chest rose above the water, but no further than that. This, obviously, was not a human. If it had been a human, it would have drowned, but it wasn't and so it didn't. Most humans would probably call this being a mermaid, although that wasn't quite right either. 

This being, whose species was not quite common knowledge to humankind, was named Roman. And upon catching sight of him, a spark twinkled in his eye and he swam closer, unbeknownst to the sailor who had caught his eye. Roman didn't concern himself with humans too often. Only ones he found particularly interesting. And this sailor was a particularly interesting one. 

Of course, Roman couldn't let this sailor see him coming so he called upon his power to create more fog and make it near impossible for most to see five feet in front of them. And as he swam closer, the fog followed until it caught the notice of the sailor aboard. 

_ Down by the Walls of Wapping _

When Virgil noticed the thickening fog, he frowned. The fog didn't usually get thicker as the sun rose so this was an anomaly that was a bit alarming. He set down his work and put away his dagger as he stood and moved to the railing. He looked over and tried to peer through the fog, he had a sneaking suspicion as to what might be causing this. He kept his hand on his dagger as he looked. After all, he was one of the most superstitious and anxious sailors alive. And he was very nervous at that moment. 

Slowly, he withdrew his dagger from the worn leather holder that was hanging from his belt. 

He flipped the dagger around in his hand, posed at the ready. Virgil wasn't going to let anything surprise him. Not if he wanted to stay alive. And he very much wanted to stay alive. 

_ Where I met a sailor gay _

As Virgil cautiously peered over the ship's railing and into the fog, he jumped as he noticed a pair of glowing eyes staring at him from the water. "Who there?!" He shouted in a thick Irish accent. He couldn't let the creature know he was scared, after all. Slowly, the eyes grew larger as the face moved closer. A smiling figure emerged from the fog as whoever was staring at him climbed up the side of the ship. Virgil yelped and flung himself back, away from the railing and the creature coming closer as they pulled themselves on deck. "Stay back!" Virgil yelled as he swung the knife out in front of him. 

The being smiled, it made Virgil's stomach feel weird. "I've never met a sailor as handsome as you before." His voice was smooth and velvety to Virgil's ears. Alluring and enchanting. "I'm Roman, and you are?" 

Virgil narrowed his eyes at the being in front of him. "Not telling you my name." Of course, the creature wasn't a fae if the large glittering tail was anything to go by. But Virgil was still an anxious fellow. 

Roman chuckled and even his laughter sounded like music. "Aren't you gonna ask what I am?" He gestured to his long red tail as he lifted his fin and waved at the sailor. 

Virgil scoffed. "Oh I already know what you are." 

Roman smirked. "Oh really," he purred and crossed his arms and leaned on an overturned barrel. He liked the snark he was receiving from this one. "Do tell."

Virgil suppressed a shiver at the other's voice. "A siren."

Roman's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Ah, so you're a smart human." The siren grinned. "That's hot." 

Virgil blinked and dropped his fighting stance. "What?"  _ Was this siren trying to flatter him?  _

Roman opened his mouth to respond only for the sound of crewmates clambering up the ramp to reach them. Virgil turned to glance behind him, surprised. He wasn't expecting them until later. By the time he turned back to Roman, the siren was already over on the other side of the railing. He grinned. "I guess I'll talk to you later, sailor boy." And with that, he let go of the railing and dropped back into the sea. 

Virgil rushed forward just in time to see the last of Roman's tail as he swam away, the fog retreating with him. He shook his head in disbelief as he watched the siren go. "Well, that was an experience." 

_ Conversing with a young lass _

Since their first meeting, the sailor and the siren met up as often as possible. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they just sat together and watched the stars. They mostly only talked when the crew was off the ship, so no one could see Roman or hear them talking. But that only happened when they were docked. The rest of the time, they just stared at the stars while Virgil was on watch. Of course, they still talked when they were out at sea too, just not as freely as they did when in port. 

To keep Roman from being seen by other crewmates, Virgil had to signal to the siren that it was safe for him to climb aboard. So, he would sing a small song for him. Roman still couldn't get over it. Of course his voice was beautiful, but it had to be in order for him to use it to lure sailors to their deaths, but Virgil's, his voice was like a warm hug. And the siren was absolutely addicted to it. 

Honestly, Roman was so glad that he could turn off the enchantment on his voice and back on at will. It was nice to have a friend that he could talk to like Virgil. Something that would be a lot more difficult if he couldn't talk to him. When he talked to Virgil, he didn't feel so lonely anymore. Even just spending time with Virgil made him feel warm and happy. It was a strange feeling, yet he craved more. 

_ Who seem'd to be in pain _

Once, when Roman was following Virgil's ship because he knew they were going to dock soon, he waited until he saw the crew leave and then climbed aboard. But when he climbed over the railing, he found the sailor slumped against a barrel, a bottle of something that smelled strongly of alcohol, something he knew the other preferred not to drink, in his hands. The siren frowned and reached forward to grab the bottle from Virgil's hand. "Are you okay?" 

Virgil shook his head as tears began to spill over onto his cheeks but stayed silent. "You don't want to say anything about it?" A quick nod. Roman hummed lighty. "Alright, that's okay." He was silent a few moments more before he began to talk about his day, his voice soft as he tried to comfort his friend. And Virgil cried quietly as Roman spoke. 

Before long, after Virgil had stopped crying, he cleared this throat and Roman went silent without being asked. "I-I don't know what to do. The captain died and now I'm the fookin' captain but I'm not ready for this! I'm not ready to be a leader!"

Roman hummed thoughtfully for a few moments before he replied. "Not that it helps, but I think you'll be a great captain." 

Virgil turned his gaze to Roman as his tears began anew. "But how can you be sure? I'm probably going to end up getting us killed!" 

_ Not like I'm gonna let that happen,  _ Roman thought. "You are the most cautious and careful person I know, you can do this." Roman laughed. "You drew a knife on me when we first met! You even knew that I was a siren. If anyone is good enough to be a captain, it's you." 

Virgil went silent. It wasn't until his tears dried that he spoke again. "Thank you, for everything." 

Roman smiled. "No problem." 

_ Saying, William, when you go _

"Where are you going this time?" Roman asked, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. 

Virgil sighed. "We're going to try and take down the one trading spot in the Caribbean." He scraped his arm. "I just have to hope I don't run into any ships from the Royal Navy." 

Roman bit his lip. He knew what Virgil meant. If he was captured by the navy, he would be hung for his piracy. In truth, he was scared. He had a bad feeling in his gut, one that sent shivers down his spine and plagued his mind. "How long?" 

Virgil shrugged. "We should be able to take it down in one day so long as there are no hiccups." 

Roman hummed. "And you won't be able to talk for a few days after that?"

"Right. We can't risk running into any royal ships so we'll be going as fast as we can and it'll be nearly all hands on deck until we're far enough away. And we gotta lie low for a bit too." 

"When will you leave?" 

"The day after tomorrow."

_ I fear you'll ne'er return again _

"Virgil, I don't think you should go on this mission." It was the next night. Last night they would be able to meet up for a while. Roman could hardly sleep that night, he kept being awoken by frightening nightmares that ripped through his heart without mercy. 

Virgil's head whipped over to look at Roman. "What?" 

Roman bit his lip. "I don't think you should go." 

Virgil frowned. "Why not?" 

"I have a bad feeling. I-" Roman paused anxiously. "I fear you'll never return." 

Virgil bit his lip and turned away from the siren. "Well, that's-" he sighed. "I'll make sure to be careful." Virgil then turned back to the sky, the conversation was over.

For some reason, Roman felt like he was on the verge of tears. He wasn't sure why, but there was something in him warning him that something bad was going to happen and he could feel fear mocking him. _You won't be able to save him._ The siren steeled his nerves. Well, he was just going to have to see about that. 

_ My heart is pierced by Cupid _

Virgil was well aware of his feelings towards a certain siren. He wasn't that oblivious. And if he ever shared anything with anyone, it would be clear to them who the siren was considering he only had ever met one. So yes, Virgil was very much in love with Roman. 

Maybe it was a foolish thing to hope that the other shared his feelings. They were two totally different creatures. Him, a human and Roman, a siren. But Virgil often had unrealistic dreams. And he was content enough to keep dreaming. After all, there was no harm in it. Was there? 

_ I disdain all glittering gold _

He was quite a peculiar pirate, Virgil was. He was not as greedy as some others, he just liked to piss off the royal navy. It was his favorite pastime. Of course, this was quite a dangerous hobby. The royal navy often hung pirates they caught, so if Virgil were to ever get caught, it was time to say goodbye to the sea forever unless he went down with his ship. 

So, yes, Virgil did not like gold, it wasn't his motivation for piracy. However, after he met Roman, he found he quite liked the idea of stealing a gold ring or a gold necklace, anything gold to give to the stunning siren who had captured his heart. With this thought in mind, with the idea of giving his love a gift, Virgil decided that he would steal something gold for Roman on this new mission. And if he made it, he would give it to Roman, and maybe he would reveal his feelings. Maybe gold wasn't so bad.

_ There is nothing that can console me _

Roman was scared. He was petrified. He had been sitting on a rock. Not quite knowing what to do with his day considering he normally just followed Virgil's ship so they could meet up every night. But he wasn't going to be meeting up with him tonight. So he was at a loss of what to do. 

But then he saw a ship sail by, on its way to what he could assume was the very island Virgil was planning to attack. It was a Royal Navy ship. Roman was sure his heart had never beat so fast in his life. As fast as he could, he leaped from his rock and plunged into the ocean, and began to swim the fastest he has ever swum in his life. He couldn't let Virgil get hurt. 

_ But my jolly sailor bold _

He barely arrived in time. By the time Roman arrived, the two ships were in a grand battle, cannons firing left and right. They smashed through wood and debris scattered the sea between them. The siren paid them little mind. His attention only focused on finding Virgil. 

"Fire!" 

_ There!  _ Virgil was standing at the helm amidst the chaos aboard the pirate ship. He was drop-dead gorgeous in his element. But Roman didn't have time to appreciate Virgil's beauty. Not now. Not with Virgil's life in danger. He'd rather never be able to appreciate the beauty of Virgil ever again than to never be able to talk to him ever again. 

_ His hair it hangs in ringlets _

Roman swam as fast as he could towards Virgil's ship. But it was hard. Debris littered the sea between the two ships and he still had to avoid getting seen. But Roman had never really been a careful person, he was more reckless than an ambitious youngster. 

The siren was hardly noticed as he zipped to Virgil's ship faster than either ship could sail. He was at the side of the ship in record time and paused. What was he going to do now? He let out a huff and peered over at the opposing ship. He could very well bring down the ship all his own. He had brought down many ships over his time and this one would be no different. 

_ His eyes as black as coal _

Roman couldn't do it. If he were to use his voice to enchant the other ship's crew, it would bring Virgil's crew down as well. He couldn't risk the other's life like that. And so, the siren found himself stuck at a stalemate. Unsure of what he could do, he bobbed in the rocking waters beside Virgil's ship. 

He didn't know what to do. What would Virgil want him to do? He frowned. Virgil would want him to stay away and out of danger. He couldn't agree. Virgil was in danger and he didn't want to be stuck on the sidelines. If Virgil got hurt…. 

_ My happiness attend him _

Roman had felt many emotions over his time alive. Joy, sorrow, anger, jealousy, but he had never quite felt love. Sure he had experienced attraction to different sailors over his time but never love. He supposed he would never feel love. He was a siren and most people didn't even believe in sirens let alone fall in love with them. Of course, there were other sirens but none of them really liked him too much. He was too interested in humans. The other sirens preferred each other's company over humans. 

Which Roman understood, after all, they didn't have much in common. And sirens often preyed on humans, luring them to their deaths with their voice alone. But, it wasn't as if they were doing it for the fun of it, it was just to protect themselves. After all, humans tended to be brutal with precious things. Roman may have agreed, but he still was fascinated with the human world. He could have never imagined getting into the situation he was in now. 

_ Wherever he may go _

He understood now. He understood it all. How had he found himself so enchanted by this human that he would follow him anywhere? Why was he so terrified that this battle would go wrong? The old Roman wouldn't understand. He would ask what was so important that would drive him to this extreme for some human. 

Love. The one thing he never thought he would experience. Love. It could be enough to move mountains, enough to inspire, enough to create. And it was Roman's love for the sailor, his sailor, that would create a storm of fury to protect him. He would happily follow this man anywhere. He would do anything for him. 

_ From Tower Hill to Blackwall _

Roman finally decided what he was going to do. He quickly swam over to the royal navy's ship and began looking for any weakness in her hull. If he was going to do anything he could at least try and weaken the enemy's ship. 

The siren dived below the surface and swam underneath the ship. He curled his hand into a fist before reeling back and punching the hull. His first bounced off and he snarled at the ship. He threw another useless punch at the hull before resurfacing as a loud cannon blast sounded. 

Roman flinched and watched as a cannonball flew from the ship beside him and smashed into the deck of Virgil's. His heart leaped in his throat but Virgil was okay. The ship was still standing and the siren could still see his love aboard the ship, shouting commands to his crew. 

He let out a sigh of relief and turned back to the ship behind him. Roman suspected the vessel before him with sharp eyes. There had to be something he could do. Soon, an idea hit him. The siren turned to the ocean surface in between the two vessels and quickly zipped through the debris field until he found a sharp shard of a wood plank. He quickly swam back to the ship and rammed the sharp end into the ship's hull. 

"YES!" Roman exclaimed. The wood plank had pierced the hull. He ripped the plank out of the hole and watched as water began to pour into the ship. He had done it! He was helping Virgil! 

**KABOOM!!**

It appeared Roman's was short-lived. 

_ I'll wander, weep and moan _

The Royal Navy had blown another hole through Virgil's ship. It was the final blow. The ship was sinking, and quickly. "NO!" Roman's scream pierced the air. The siren shot over to the other ship. "Virgil!" He watched as the ship quickly began to disappear below the surface. "No no no no no no!" 

The siren came across other pirates as they quickly latched onto anything that would keep them afloat. Roman only felt a little bad as he bypassed them. But his mind was on Virgil. His moments with Virgil flashed through his mind. He couldn't lose him. He just couldn't. Not when he just accepted his feelings. 

Then he slammed into a hard stop. He breathed out one heartbroken word. "No…" Roman moved forward and slowly moved the planks of wood off of the sailor. Virgil was laying on a column and must have become trapped between the two pieces of the ship and drowned. His sailor was dead. 

_ All for my jolly sailor _

Roman gathered Virgil into his arms and held him as he cried. His sobs echoed loudly through the air, catching the attention of the remaining ship. 

"Woah! What's that?!" 

Roman looked up at the opposing ship, tears spilling over onto his cheeks. They dripped down onto his sailors' face. A face that would never smile at him again. At that moment, all his anguish, all his rage, spilled over into his throat and he unleashed his voice onto the royal navy. 

_ Until he sails home _

The royal navy ship had run aground. Most of her crew haven jumped from the deck and into the churning waves. the rest went down with the ship. A storm had quickly moved in with the force of Roman's voice. The wind was harsh, the rain no gentler, and in the middle of it, all was Roman and his love. His cold, dead love. 

Until he wasn't. 

_ My heart is pierced by Cupid _

To be clear, Roman was not aware of all the magical properties that he possessed. And to be quite fair, most sirens were not aware of this ability they possessed either. After all, they hardly ever had a need for tears, such was their life that they hardly experienced such sorrow. That and they spent most of their time underwater where the current carried away their tears. 

The situation that needed to arise for a siren to discover the magical power their tears held had never arisen for Roman before. Perhaps if he had known, he wouldn't have become so overwhelmed with sorrow. Although, even if he had known, one could assume that it would still hurt just as much. After all, nothing could really lessen the pain of losing a loved one. 

_ I disdain all glittering gold _

Roman's sobs had quieted down, and with it, the storm calmed until it was just a memory. His tears still flowed freely from his eyes as he looked down at Virgil in his arms and let out a broken sob. "I'm so sorry." The siren bit his lip as he sniffled and reached a hand forward to push some of Virgil's hair out of his face. He caressed his cheek and drew in a ragged breath. 

"I tried. I really tried, Virgil." Roman sniffed. "I just wasn't fast enough." He adjusted a necklace on Virgil's neck. It wasn't something he had seen him wear before. It must have been something he just got. He let out a loud cry. "Maybe you would have told me how you got this...if I had been just a little faster-" he broke off with a hiccup and pressed his forehead to Virgil's and continued to cry. 

_ There is nothing can console me _

Virgil was very confused. The last thing he remembered was foggy and incomplete. He could only remember how he felt. Cold and scared. But now, he felt warm and safe. He shifted and felt arms around him, holding him. He slowly blinked his eyes open only for his vision to be filled with Roman. 

Oh, no wonder he felt safe. His face flushed as he realized the siren was holding him. Gay Panic™️ would have set in if he hadn't noticed the grief on Roman's face. He frowned and tried to move his hand only to realize it was trapped in Roman's hold. He opened his mouth to speak only to realize his tongue felt like lead. But he pushed through it. 

"Roman?" He had to comfort his siren. 

Roman's eyes flew open in alarm as he jerked back. His jaw dropped as Virgil fought to pull out his arm, it felt heavy, but he had more important things to worry about. "What's wrong?" 

"I-" tears sprang anew and Roman's mouth clamped shut. Virgil frowned and glanced around only to find debris floating all around them. The two of them were on a rock a little bit away from the shore of an island behind them. And it all came rushing back. 

The mission, the royal navy ship, the battle, the final blow, being crushed underneath parts of his ship, and finally the burning of his lungs as he drowned. He could only guess what happened next. "Ro, what happened after….?" 

Roman sniffled. "I- I did what sirens always do." 

Virgil hummed. "Do you think we can move to the shore?" 

Roman nodded and held Virgil tight before he shot over to the shore. The two dragged themselves ashore and Virgil sighed. He took off the necklace and handed it to Roman. "Here, I uh, I grabbed this for you." 

Roman's head shot up and he looked over to Virgil and the necklace he held in his stretched out hand. Gingerly, he took the necklace and tied it around his neck. It didn't stop his tears though. "Thank you." 

Virgil smiled at the siren. "You're welcome.” He knew they still had a lot to talk about. But right now, Roman just needed someone to comfort him. Specifically, he needed Virgil. So Virgil scouted closer to the siren and wrapped his arm around him and leaned against him as Roman cried. 

_ But my jolly sailor bold  _

The sea had been merciful. Virgil was given the power to transform his legs into a tail at will. He was the first-ever merman. At least that was the name Roman had come up for him. And Virgil loved Roman so of course he fondly accepted the name. 

Together, the two of them lived in a small island with a cave that led to the water and allowed them a cool place to relax when it got too hot. They had their happily ever after. 

Currently, the two were cuddled on the beach as the sunset and they watched the stars as they revealed themselves. "I'm so glad I met you," Roman murmured. He pressed a kiss to Virgil's head and gave him a light squeeze. 

Virgil smiled warmly. "And I'm glad I met you, I love you." He turned his head to press a quick kiss to the siren's lips before returning to his previous position. 

Roman grinned. "I love you too. " 

Neither Roman or Virgil would give this up for the world. 


End file.
